In Focus: Five key talking points from Hungary 1-0 England

England went down 1-0 in Hungary as they slumped to their first defeat since the Euro 2020 final in their opening Nations League fixture. 

The contest was due to be played behind closed doors but around 35,000 fans were in attendance, with 30,000 of them reportedly children. 

The game’s only goal came in the 66th minute as Dominik Szoboszlai slotted home from the spot after substitute Reece James conceded a hotly-disputed penalty. 

That spot-kick proved enough to see Hungary register their first victory over England in 60 years. 

As the dust settles on a night to forget for Gareth Southgate's Three Lions, we highlight five talking points from the clash in Budapest.

Disappointing debut

Jarrod Bowen was one of two England debutants but the West Ham winger would have pictured a very different first game for his country. 

His application could not be faulted but the Three Lions looked blunt and the 25-year-old ace failed to create a chance as he connected with just 15 of his 22 passes (68%). 

He also only won four of his 10 ground duels and struggled to make an impact on the game. 

The attacker will hope to make a better impression when he gets his next chance in Southgate's side.

Just not good enough

James Justin was the second England new boy but he also struggled to stake his claim for regular action. 

Despite the occasional bright moment, the Leicester ace, 24, was unable to influence the game from his spot at left wing-back. 

His first game for his country was curtailed prematurely at half-time, when a knock saw him replaced by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka.

Given England’s left-back issues, Southgate will be disappointed the Foxes defender did not make a more compelling case to make the position his own. 

Out of ideas

Southgate’s most pressing concern in the aftermath of this game will be how slow and uninspired England looked in the final third. 

Despite edging possession (57%), the Euro 2020 finalists managed fewer shots on target than Hungary (5-4) and rarely tested Peter Gulacsi. 

Harry Kane, Mason Mount and substitute Jack Grealish all endured similar struggles to Bowen, failing to impose themselves on proceedings in a meaningful way.

Back to the drawing board?

It is possible this display will cause Southgate to consider his tactical set-up ahead of the World Cup this winter. 

His back three provided England with a reasonable degree of defensive solidity but there was a disconnect between the front line and the rest of the team. 

Perhaps the Three Lions boss will consider reverting to a four-man defence, at least in games where England are the favourites, sacrificing some caution in favour of a more front-foot approach.

Lessons must be learnt

Wolves ace Conor Coady, who played at the heart of England’s back three, admits the team must reflect on the performance and quickly learn from it ahead of their upcoming fixtures. 

He said: "We've got a massive game coming up on Tuesday [against Germany]. We need to look at this performance and learn from it very quickly. 

"I thought we started off quite well. We need to tidy up and bounce back. We need to look at how we performed and how we move forward because these are big games for us. 

"We have lost and it's important we look at ourselves. 

"I think we were all a little bit shocked at first [when the penalty was awarded]. It was one of those where no one appealed for a penalty."